Texas A&M-Kingsville officially opens recreation/NCAA facility

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In 2014, Texas A&M University-Kingsville students approved a referendum to raise campus recreation and athletic fees. Today, Wednesday, Aug. 30, the dream became a reality as the ribbon was officially cut at the new Recreation and NCAA Complex on the northwest side of campus.

The $7 million complex has eight NCAA regulation tennis courts, six NCAA beach volleyball courts, two intramural softball fields, two intramural soccer/flag football fields and one intramural cricket oval. All are lighted as many intramural contests are held in the evening.

Following the formal festivities, several activities were held including a faculty and staff versus student kickball game, a seven versus seven flag football challenge, a two on two beach volleyball tournament and a cricket match.

There also were group exercise classes including Pump You Up, Zumba and Yoga. Students also played Spikeball, Soccer Tennis and Nuke’em throughout the complex.

“This project is immeasurably exciting for our students and programs,” said Dr. Scott Gines, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation. “It is a response to student body growth on a residential campus. As our student body and demographics expanded, our intramural participation increased by more than 40 percent and this initiative is a wonderful example of integrated partnerships in two areas.

“According to the recent American Volleyball Coaches Association, less than 10 percent of NCAA Beach Volleyball programs have a lighted, on-campus competition site with three courts. We have six courts and seating. I am told our facility is currently one of the top facilities in the nation as well as the biggest and best in Texas,” Gines said.

“We hope the new complex will enable us to increase interest in intramural sports, raising the number of participants in teams,” said Tony Kreitzer, director of campus recreation and fitness. “However, the complex is here for more versatility. The complex allows us to host intramural sports activities as well as open recreation, which we did not have available in the past.

“Beach volleyball, kickball and possibly Ultimate Frisbee will be added to the intramural sports calendar,” he said.

“We want to promote activity and healthy lifestyles. The new complex allows us to reach a more diverse student body,” Kreitzer said. “A thriving and diverse intramural sports program helps with student retention rates and student grade point averages which correlates to student graduations.”

To promote the diversity of Texas A&M-Kingsville, the new complex boasts one of the first dedicated cricket fields in the country. “Most other universities do what we did in the past, have a big open area where we would put a mat down from where cricket players bowl and bat. The National Intramural Sports Association has recognized the rise in interest in the sport of cricket and has started to promote more awareness across campuses,” Kreitzer said.

The university’s women’s tennis team and beach volleyball team initiated their new courts in the spring, while the intramural portion of the complex was still being completed.

The new complex is located between Avenue B and Corral Avenue. The ribbon cutting took place at the main gate near the beach volleyball and tennis courts.